In light of the arrest of horse breed Ernest Paragallo for the neglect and malnourishment of horses, New York horse breeders are concerned whether they are at risk for criminal prosecution. Paragallo, a well-known horse breeder in the racing community and a resident of Long Island, is facing 35 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty in Greene County, New York. After …
Will Be Attending New York State Fair
This has been a tough week for agriculture in the mainstream media. Not only did this TIME cover story “The Real Cost of Cheap Food” written by Bryan Walsh hit the newsstands but Nicholas Kristof published this editorial article in the New York Times where he argues that the family farm is dead and modern agriculture has taken the “soul” …
Farm Lease Considerations
Even though a landowner might be leasing his or her farm to family members, neighbors, or friends, it is highly suggested that the terms of the lease be memorialized in writing. This is particularly important since oral contracts involving a tenancy in land are not enforceable. There are several issues that should be discussed between the landowner and tenant. In …
Looking for Some Ag Tweeps?
Good, bad, or indifferent, social media is everywhere. . . especially in the agriculture industry right now. Mike Haley (a.k.a. @FollowFarmer and @FarmerHaley), a Simmental cattle producer in Ohio, compiled a significant list of all ag-focused tweeps on Twitter here. Both @CariRincker and @RinckerLaw are on this very expansive list of agriculture folks ranging from livestock producers to agriculture organizations, …
Ohio Puts The Livestock Care Standards Board To Vote
In the midst of Ohio 4-H County Fair season, the state’s legislature took the initiative this summer to try to create a 13-member Livestock Care Standards Board as an amendment to Section 1 of the Article XIV of the Ohio Constitution. The Joint Resolution of the Ohio House of Representatives and Senate passed on July 13, 2009; therefore, the constitutional …
Dairy Producers’ Blogs to Follow
Even though I grew-up on a beef cattle farm in Central Illinois, I have always had a strong appreciation for the dairy industry. I am excited to be back in the Northeast again where the dairy industry is extremely prominent. New York, for example, is ranked third in the United States for dairy production and the industry contributes more than …
NYFB Farm Animal Welfare Legal Conference
Rincker Law PLLC is scheduled to participate in this Farm Animal Legal Conference held by the New York Farm Bureau (“NYFB”) on October 15, 2009 at the Clarion Hotel in Albany, New York addressing the threat posed by animal activists to New York farmers. This is a very important discussion topic whether you are a small seedstock producer or a …
YPC Spotlight: Ben Spitzer
As you can tell, I am a big supporter of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Assocation (“NCBA”) and its new Young Producers’ Council (“YPC”). As I mentioned in this previous post, I am very lucky to be serving with a great crew of people on YPC’s Leadership Board. Among them is Ben Spitzer, a Brangus producer from Georgia who is YPC’s …
The Not-So-Simple Definition of “Agriculture Law”
As I mentioned in my previous blog, I recently joined JD Supra where my documents can be found here. Today, JD Supra featured my profile on its facebook page. I was asked what exactly agriculture law was from an editor in Florida where I did my best to answer her in limited space. Since I oftentimes receive this question (lately …
Documents Now Posted to JD Supra
Last week, I opened an account with JD Supra, a online resource allowing attorneys to post articles, court pleadings, and e-books for the general public. You can find my profile here where you can see either a Word or Portable Document Format (“PDF”) version of a few articles that I have written. I also uploaded the Food and Agriculture Organization …
YPC Spotlight: Interview with Brandon Carlson
Last January in Phoenix at the annual convention, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (“NCBA”) organized Young Producer’s Council (“YPC”)– a suborganization under NCBA for members ages 18-35. YPC serves as a great way for young people to get involved in NCBA. YPC elects producer members to be a voting member on NCBA. YPC is chaired by Dustin Dean and vice-chaired by Steven …
To ACRE or Not to ACRE?
Pursuant to the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-246) (the “2008 Farm Bill”), crop farmers around the county have the option to participate in the Average Crop Revenue Election (“ACRE”) Program or stay with the traditional Direct and Counter-Cyclical (“DCP”) Program. The deadline to elect into the ACRE Program in quickly approaching. Farmers who wish to elect …